Canada and British Columbia Fund Wastewater Treatment Study

Victoria, British Columbia, April 9, 2009 — The Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport), and Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong, announced today that the Capital Regional District (CRD) will receive federal and provincial financial support to plan wastewater treatment for its core area municipalities.

The Governments of Canada and British Columbia will each contribute up to $3.33 million to eligible costs of a wastewater treatment study. The CRD will contribute the remaining third, for a total of $10 million.

The CRD is planning secondary sewage treatment for the seven core area municipalities of Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, Oak Bay, Saanich, Victoria, and View Royal with a population of approximately 330,000 people.

“Sewage treatment for the CRD continues to be a priority for our government,” said Minister Lunn. “This funding will help provide decision makers the resources they need to get the job done right.”

“This funding will bring the CRD one step closer to identifying and developing the best possible way to treat wastewater on a sustainable basis,” said MLA Chong, on behalf of B.C. Minister of Community Development Kevin Krueger. “It’s important for all levels of government to work together in finding cost-effective, innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and ensure a healthy future for British Columbia and its residents.”

“Thorough research and planning for wastewater treatment in the Capital Region’s Core Area is a mandatory first step when making good decisions,” said CRD Board Chair Geoff Young. “Our biggest decisions in this project will be choosing the right technologies for treatment, including research into resource and energy recovery strategies. I’m very pleased to see this planning supported by the federal and provincial governments.”

The federal and provincial support will go toward the Development Phase of the wastewater management program. During this Phase, the CRD will refine its design and the project elements, including resource recovery options, site identification, and procurement analysis, which includes a detailed analysis of the project and its costs.

Beyond this announcement, the Government of Canada is taking important steps to support economic growth. Canada’s Economic Action Plan, announced in Budget 2009, is a balanced stimulus plan that includes massive investments in infrastructure, tax relief and transfers. This plan will provide close to $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over two years, which will address needs in communities across Canada, as well as contributing to long-term economic growth through investments in public infrastructure, such as roads, water treatment, green energy and transit.

For further information on federal infrastructure investments, visit www.buildingcanada.gc.ca

For further information contact:

Logan Wenham
Office of Gary Lunn, MP
250-656-2320

Chris Day
Press Secretary
Office of Canada’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister
613-991-0700

Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148

Public Affairs Bureau
Ministry of Community Development
250-387-8031

Sheila Taylor
Manager, Community Relations
CRD Corporate Communications
250-360-3308